Combine threshing rotor front bearing and inlet section with anti-wind features

ABSTRACT

A threshing front rotor inlet section and front bearing housing shroud assembly for an agricultural combine. The front rotor inlet section includes a center body or plate having a radial outer circumferential periphery and a substantially annular protuberance extending forwardly therefrom concentric with a rotational axis thereof. The protuberance has at least one slot extending radially therethrough defined by one or more edges and/or surfaces which face in the rotational direction and are raked back in the radial outward direction, for pushing crop material, radially outwardly for conveyance rearwardly by impeller augers or flights of the rotor. Other surfaces can also be provided around the outer periphery for pushing longer plant material away from spaces between the inlet section and bearing housing and shroud.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to agricultural combine rotors,and more particularly, to a front bearing housing and front rotor inletsection combination having anti-wind features for preventing winding orwrapping of plant materials therearound.

BACKGROUND ART

A well-known form of harvesting machine is a rotary combine. A typicalcombine includes a crop harvesting apparatus which reaps grain stalksand other plant materials and feed them to a separating or threshingapparatus. The grain stalks or other crop and plant materials harvestedin the field are moved rearwardly from a crop harvesting header assemblyand introduced for threshing to the rotor assembly by a crop feederassembly.

In a rotary combine, the rotor assembly includes a generally tubularrotor housing mounted in the combine body. A driven rotor is coaxiallymounted within the housing. The rotor comprises an infeed or inletsection and a cylindrical threshing section, and is supported atopposite ends by front and rear bearing assemblies.

The cylindrical threshing section of the rotor and the rotor housingmount cooperating threshing elements which separate grain from othermaterial in a threshing zone. The crop material is threshed as itspirals around the rotor threshing section and passes through openingsin the rotor housing.

As discussed in Tanis U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,153, assigned to the sameassignee as the present invention, the ability to transfer cropmaterials from the feeder assembly to the threshing zone of the rotorassembly is a key to efficient combine operations. Most rotary combinerotors include an infeed or inlet section impeller comprised of a seriesof impeller blades or flights arranged at a forward end of the rotor.The impeller flights rotate within a housing which is a part of therotor housing. During harvesting operations, the generally linearmovement of the crop materials received from the feeder assembly isconverted by the rotating impeller flights into a rotating, circulatorymovement, in a rearward and outward direction.

When rotary combines are used on certain long-stemmed leguminous orgrassy crops, such as windrowed perennial or annual rye grass, clover,and bent grass, and oats, there is a potential for portions of suchgrassy crops and other plant materials such as weeds to extend into theimpeller flights while other portions remain partially engaged with thefeeder assembly. The latter portions tend to move toward the axis ofrotation of the rotor assembly, and may wrap about the front rotorbearing or shaft. This can rob power and cause damaging heat build uparound the bearing, potentially causing premature failure thereof.

Long-stemmed leguminous or grassy crops also have a tendency to wraparound or “hairpin” about the leading edge of the impeller blades orflights. This hairpinning action can create a buildup of crop materialson the aforementioned leading edge, which reduces the effectiveness ofthe impeller and further reduces combine efficiency.

Numerous front rotor inlet and bearing housing designs, including thatdisclosed in the above referenced Tanis patent, have been proposed toprevent crop materials from becoming entangled with the front rotorbearing and prevent hairpinning about the impeller blades' leadingedges. None has been thoroughly successful in doing so, however.Furthermore, these designs suffer from a multitude of individual parts,and the higher costs associated therewith.

Tanis U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,566, also assigned to the same assignee as thepresent invention, discloses an infeed impeller for a rotary combinewhich utilizes anti-winding vanes on the rotor which cooperate withvanes on the front bearing assembly to force debris radially outwardlyaway from the axis of the rotor. However, this combination has beenfound to also suffer from the above-discussed shortcomings, moreparticularly, that long, particularly wet, crop material winds onto therotor shaft which creates heat, consumes power, and causes early bearingfailures.

Accordingly, what is sought is a front bearing housing anti-wind elementand/or front rotor inlet section which provides improved anti-windcharacteristics, particularly with regard to long, wet straw and othercrop material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, a front rotor inletsection for a threshing rotor of an agricultural combine, which providesone or more of the above sought characteristics, is disclosed. The frontrotor inlet section includes a center body or plate adapted to bemounted on a front end of a rotor around a frontwardly and rearwardlyextending rotational axis therethrough for rotation with the rotor in apredetermined rotational direction about the rotational axis. The bodypreferably has a radial outer circumferential periphery and asubstantially annular protuberance extending frontwardly therefromconcentric with the rotational axis. The protuberance has a radiallyoutwardly facing outer circumferential surface, a radially inwardlyfacing inner circumferential surface located radially inwardly of theouter circumferential surface, and extends around and defines a frontcenter space. The protuberance preferably includes at least onefrontwardly facing slot extending radially therethrough, the slot beingdefined at least in part by one or more edges and/or surfaces which facein the rotational direction and are raked back in the radial outwarddirection relative to the rotational direction, so as to be operable forpushing crop material, particularly long elements of straw and the like,brought into contact therewith during rotation thereof, radiallyoutwardly toward the radial outer periphery of the body, for conveyancerearwardly by impeller augers or flights of the rotor.

The protuberance is adapted to be positioned in an annular or circularspace between a bearing housing and a shroud extending therearoundradially outwardly thereof, with the bearing housing extending into thefront center space. As a result, during the rotation of the inletsection, the protuberance will rotate around the exterior of the bearinghousing, and any long elements of plant material, such as long wetstraw, will be brought into contact with the edges and/or surfaces ofthe at least one slot, so as to be pushed radially outwardly thereby,away from the bearing housing. The plant material can also be cut by oneor more of the edges of or adjacent to the slot. The plant material canthen be carried radially outwardly and rearwardly away from the frontinlet end, so as to be processed by the threshing system

In this way, plant material, particularly the longer elements of plantmaterial, such as straw and the like, are limited or prevented fromwrapping around the bearing housing, so as to reduce occurrences of heatbuildup and resulting bearing failures. Also, as a result of the bearinghousing extending rearwardly into the front center space, no straightline radial inward path exists for passage of plant material past thebearing housing and into the front center space, where the plantmaterial could otherwise wrap around a shaft or other element extendingaxially through the inlet section and supporting it and the rotor forrotation relative to the bearing housing and shroud.

Still further, the radial outer circumferential periphery of the body ofthe inlet section preferably includes a machined circumferential surfaceconcentric with the rotational axis and having a predetermineddiametrical extent, adapted to rotate in closely spaced relation to andradially inwardly of an inner circumferential surface of the shroud, toprovide another barrier to passage of plant material radially inwardlytoward the bearing housing and element, such as a shaft, supporting theinlet section and rotor for the rotation.

Thus, according to a preferred aspect of the invention, the positioningand rotation of the protuberance radially outwardly of the bearinghousing in axial overlapping relation thereto, and the pushing of cropmaterial radially outwardly away from the bearing housing by the one ormore edges and/or surfaces of the at least one slot through theprotuberance, in combination with the rotation of the machined surfaceof the radial outer periphery of the body in closely spaced relation tothe inner periphery of the shroud, substantially limits or preventswrapping of long crop material around the bearing housing and the shaftor other element supporting the rotor for rotation relative thereto. Theat least one slot through the protuberance additionally provides a pathfor passage of loose plant material and the like, radially outwardlyaway from the front center space.

As another preferred aspect of the invention, the body further includesa pair of diametrically opposed inlet flight extensions extendingradially outwardly therefrom, each of the extensions being swept backrelative to the rotational direction and having a leading edge facing inthe rotational direction, and an opposite trailing edge. The radialouter periphery of the body further preferably includes a pair ofradially inwardly extending indentations therein, preferably locatedadjacent to and rearwardly of the trailing edges in the rotationaldirection, respectively, each of the indentations being defined at leastin part by a radially outwardly facing surface oriented to push cropmaterial brought into contact therewith during rotation of the inletsection radially outwardly, so as to preferably be placed in the path ofrotation of the inlet flight extensions, so as to be carried orpropelled radially outwardly away from the central region of the inletsection and the bearing housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred aspects of the invention, including of its construction andmethod of operation, are illustrated more or less diagrammatically inthe drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a rotary combine,showing in partial section a crop feeder assembly, and a threshing rotorincluding a front inlet section thereof and a front bearing housingshroud assembly, the front rotor inlet section and shroud havingimproved anti-wind characteristics according to preferred aspects of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the rotor and front inletsection of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the rotor of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a center body of the front rotor inletsection of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the center body of the front rotorof FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the center body of the front rotor inletsection and the front bearing housing and shroud of FIG. 1, illustratingthe relationship therebetween;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the center body;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the center body taken along line 8-8 ofFIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the center body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 a self-propelled rotary combineis seen generally at 10. Combine 10 includes a front portion 12including front wheels 14, an operator cab 16, and an engine (not shown)suitably supported within a body 18. The transfer of power from theengine to various driven components of combine 10 is effectedconventionally.

Combine 10 is provided with a crop harvesting header assembly 20 forcutting and gathering crop materials. Header assembly 20 cuts anddirects the crop material into a crop feeder assembly 22 including aconveyor 24. Conveyor 24 carries the crop material upwardly toward arotor assembly 26, which threshes grain from material other than thegrain. Rotor assembly 26 is supported in a conventional manner insidebody 18. Rotor assembly 26 includes a tubular rotor housing 28 mountedin a front to rear orientation in body 18. A rotor 30 is mounted inhousing 28 for rotation therein in a predetermined rotational directionabout a rotational axis 32 through rotor 30 oriented at an acute angleto horizontal as shown.

Ref erring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, rotor 30 is a hollow drum rigidlyaffixed to a shaft 34 extending coaxially therethrough. Rotor 30includes a front infeed or inlet section 36, and a rear threshingsection 38. Front inlet section 36 includes two helical impeller augers40 extending therearound in a rearward direction from a front centerportion 42 to threshing section 38. Front inlet section has a conicalshape, extending radially outwardly relative to axis 32 rearwardly fromadjacent to front center portion 42 to threshing section 38. Rotor 30 isrotatable in rotor housing 28 in the rotational direction denoted byarrow 44 in FIG. 3. Each impeller auger 40 includes a flight having aleading edge 46 which extends radially outwardly with respect to axis 32from a radial outer circumferential edge or periphery 48 of front centerportion 42 having a predetermined radial extent, and terminating at aradial outer edge 50. Edges 46 are raked or swept back in relation torotational direction 44. Each impeller auger preferably has a helicalpitch that increases in the rearward direction along the length thereof,which enables augers 40 to aggressively move plant material rearwardlyfrom feeder assembly 22 during rotation of rotor 30, while leading edges46 is disposed and rotates in closely spaced relation to a shroud 52which extends around and protects a front bearing housing 54 (FIGS. 1and 6) carrying a front bearing 56 (FIG. 6) for supporting shaft 34 andthus inlet section 36 of rotor 30 for rotation, as will be explained.

Referring also to FIGS. 4 and 5, front center portion 42 of inletsection 36 is preferably includes a front plate or a body 58 which iswelded or otherwise fixedly mounted onto inlet section 36 around shaft34. Body 58 includes radial outer periphery 48, and a frontwardlyextending, substantially annular protuberance 60 therearound. Body 58includes several anti-wind elements, including radially innermostextensions 62 of leading edges 46 of impeller augers 40 which extendradially outwardly and at least generally tangentially from radial outerperiphery 48 to connect in substantially flush relation to edges 46,respectively, and which are also raked or swept back with respect to therotational direction. Protuberance 60 preferably includes a pair ofslots 64 facing frontwardly and extending radially therethrough, eachslot 64 preferably bring raked or swept back relative to the rotationaldirection and having a surface 66 oriented to face in the rotationaldirection and which is swept or raked back in the radial outwarddirection.

Protuberance 60 has a radially outwardly facing outer circumferentialsurface 68 extending therearound, and a radially inwardly facing innercircumferential surface 70 therearound. Preferably, innercircumferential surface 70 has a tapered or frusto-conical shape, whichextends convergingly rearwardly toward axis 32, defining a front centerspace 72. Inner circumferential surface 70 also extends around a centeropening through which shaft 34 extends.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 6, shroud 52 is mounted on asupport arm 72 frontwardly of inlet section 36 of rotor 30 (FIG. 1), andis preferably integrally formed or cast with front bearing housing 54(FIG. 6). Front bearing housing 54 contains and carries conventionalbearing 56 for rotatably supporting shaft 34 for rotation about axis 32,shaft 34 being affixed to and rotatably carrying and supporting inletsection 36 in the conventional manner. Bearing housing 54 has acircumferential radial outer surface 74 therearound having apredetermined radial or diametrical extent. Shroud 52 has a radial innersurface 76 having a predetermined radial extent which is greater thanthat of outer surface 74 of bearing housing 54, and which is locatedradially outwardly thereof and extends at least partially therearound,such that at least a partial or generally circular or annular space 78or path extends around bearing housing 54 as defined by surfaces 74 and76. Inner surface 76 is also of at least slightly or marginally greaterradial extent than radial outer periphery 48 of front center portion 42and particularly protuberance 60 projecting frontwardly therefrom, suchthat protuberance 60 is received in and rotates through annular space 78when rotor 30 is rotated. Shroud 52 has a radial outer surface 80extending at least partially therearound, and a rearward most anti-windwiper edge 82 disposed between surfaces 76 and 80 so as to be spacedjust marginally radially outwardly and frontwardly of radial outerperiphery 48 of front center portion 42, and closely in front ofextensions 62. Radial outer surface 80 includes an anti-wind wiper 84that extends radially outwardly preferably at least generallytangentially from surface 80 in the rotational direction denoted byarrows 44 (FIG. 3) and includes an extension of anti-wind wiper edge 82.Wiper 84 shown has a preferred generally helicoid shape with respect toaxis 32 so as to guide material radially outwardly and away from thefront bearing region. Shroud 52 includes an opening 86 through thelowest or bottommost portion thereof communicating or connecting withspace 78.

Superior anti-winding effect is achieved by the rotation of swept backextensions 62 of body 58 and leading edges 46 of impeller augers 40, inclose relation to wiping surface 80 and anti-wind wiper 84,respectively. Extensions 62 begin at outer periphery 48 of front centerportion 42, which is radially inwardly of wiping surface 80, and arepreferably swept back sufficiently with respect to the rotationaldirection, such that at least a 90 degree included angle in therotational direction is formed between extensions 62 and surface 80,such that plant material that comes in contact with extensions 62 isalways urged radially outwardly thereby during the rotation thereof.Because leading edges 46 of augers 40 are swept back continuations ofextensions 62 and augers have rearwardly increasing pitch, the material,including long wet material, is advantageously carried radiallyoutwardly and rearwardly thereby, away from proximity to shroud 52, andhairpinning and wrapping about augers 40 is avoided. Another advantageof connecting leading edges 46 to augers 40 is that they thus performboth augering and anti-wind functions, thereby eliminating the need foradditional, separate anti-wind devices extending into the crop materialflow path in the infeed region. Leading edges 46 are positioned,oriented, and function in the same manner in relation to anti-wind wiper84, namely, leading edges 46 and wiper 84 always form at least a 90degree included angle in the rotational direction, providing the sameadvantages. Surfaces 66 urge any plant material coming into contacttherewith during the rotation thereof radially outwardly and rearwardly,so as to be collected and carried away by augers 40, so as to clearmaterial from around front bearing housing 54. In this regard, bearinghousing 54 and shroud 52 can include surfaces positioned in closeproximity to the path of protuberance 60 such that material that becomestrapped therebetween will be sheared or otherwise broken up, so as to bemore easily removed by moving surfaces 66. The radially outwardly sweptback orientation of surfaces 66 of slots 64 facilitates the positivepushing or directing of the material contacted thereby radiallyoutwardly, and the orientation of surfaces 66 directed radiallyoutwardly from space 78 in the rotational direction facilitates the flowof the material pushed or driven outwardly by surfaces 66 through slots64. The orientation of slots 64 also makes it less likely that plantmaterial can enter front center space 72 therethrough. Additionally,opening 86 allows small, loose particles and fragments of plantmaterial, dust, and the like in space 78 to fall therethrough bygravity, or be pushed or driven therethrough by surfaces 66.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 6, it can be observed that frontbearing housing 54 extends at least partially into front center space 72defined by inner circumferential surface 70 of protuberance 60. As aresult, protuberance 60 overlaps bearing housing 54 axially relative torotational axis 32, such that there is no radial straight line openingor passage for plant material to enter front center space 72, andpossibly wrap around shaft 34. Similarly, radial outer circumferentialperiphery 48 of front center portion 42 extends axially frontwardly intospace 78 in closely spaced relation to radial inner surface 76 of shroud52, such that no radial straight line path exists for plant material toreach shaft 34 at that location. Additionally, the overlapping relationof protuberance 60 to radial outer surface 74 of bearing housing 54 andthe rotation of surfaces 66, functions to substantially reduce orprevent occurrences of wrapping of longer plant material around housing54. Still further in this regard, as noted above, inner circumferentialsurface 70 of protuberance 60 is preferably a frusto-conical surface, soas to taper or slant radially outwardly in the frontward direction, suchthat in combination with the tilt of front center portion andcentrifugal force generated by rotation thereof, it will facilitate flowof dust and smaller particles of plant material, dirt, and the like,outwardly from front center space 72, for removal through opening 86.Here, it should be noted that the reference to inner circumferentialsurface 70 having a generally frusto-conical shape is intended toinclude other similar shapes, such as, but not limited to, nearfrusto-conical, and slightly concave, curved shapes.

Referring also to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, radial outer circumferentialperiphery 48 of front center portion 42 preferably includes a circularor cylindrical machined surface portion 88 therearound concentric withaxis 32, and positioned to be located in closely spaced opposingrelation to radial inner surface 76 of shroud 52, as best shown in FIG.6. Radial inner surface 76 is also preferably machined in a circularshape concentric with axis 32, such that surface portion 88 will rotatein closely spaced relation to surface 76, thereby serving as a barrierto entry of plant material, particularly long plant material,therebetween.

Radial outer circumferential periphery 48, including circular surfaceportion 88, preferably includes at least one notch or indentation 90therein, as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, including and at leastpartially defined by a surface 92, which faces radially outwardly and israked back relative to the rotational direction, positioned for pushingplant material radially outwardly during rotation, for clearing theplant material from the space between radial outer circumferentialperiphery 48 and radial inner surface 76. Extensions 62 each preferablyinclude a trailing edge 94, each indentation 90 preferably being locatedjust rearwardly of trailing edge 94 relative to the rotationaldirection. Surface 92 of each indentation 90 also preferably tapersgradually radially outwardly from the respective trailing edge 94, topush plant material into a path of rotation of extensions 62, so as tobe carried or propelled radially outwardly thereby, away from the inletsection. Here, it should be noted that protuberance 60 is shown anddiscussed herein including two of the slots 64, located at diametricallyopposed positions therethrough. It should be recognized and appreciated,however, that just one slot, or more than two slots, located at variouspositions through the protuberance could be used, depending on factorssuch as, but not limited to, characteristics of crop material with whichthe combine is to be used. Also, dimensions of protuberance 60, and thesectional shape thereof, can be varied as required or desired for aparticular application. Similarly, the number, size, shape, angularorientation, and other features of surfaces 66 and 92, and surfaceportion 88, as well as the locations thereof, can be varied as requiredfor a particular application.

Here, it should also be noted that the terms “rearward” and “rearwardly”are used in respect to rotor 30, as denoting toward the threshing endthereof, and not with respect to the rearward end of combine 10, as itis recognized that rotor 30 could be oriented otherwise than front torearwardly with respect to combine 10, such as in a side to sideorientation therein. Additionally, it should be noted that the terms“radial” and “radially” are used with respect to axis 32.

It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps, andarrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated toexplain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made bythose skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within theprinciples and scope of the invention. The foregoing descriptionillustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however,concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in otherembodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.Accordingly, the following claims are intended to protect the inventionbroadly as well as in the specific form shown.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A threshing rotor and front bearing housing assemblyfor an agricultural combine, comprising: a front rotor inlet section ona front end of a rotor rotatable in a predetermined rotational directionabout a frontwardly and rearwardly extending rotational axis extendingtherethrough, the front rotor inlet section having a radial outercircumferential surface extending therearound having a predetermineddiametrical extent, and a substantially annular protuberance extendingfrontwardly of the outer circumferential surface, the protuberancehaving a radially outwardly facing outer circumferential surface, aradially inwardly facing inner circumferential surface located radiallyinwardly of the outer circumferential surface and extending around anddefining a front center space, and at least one frontwardly facing slotextending radially outwardly through the protuberance in raked backrelation to the rotational direction; and a front bearing housingsupported on structure of the combine and located frontwardly of thefront rotor inlet section, the bearing housing having a radial outercircumferential surface therearound having a predetermined diametricalextent and containing a bearing supporting the front end of the rotorand the front rotor inlet section for the rotation in the predeterminedrotational direction, and an anti-wind shroud extending at leastpartially around the front bearing housing radially outwardly thereofand having a radial inner circumferential periphery spaced radiallyoutwardly from a radial outer periphery of the bearing housing defininga circumferential space therebetween, the protuberance extendingfrontwardly into the circumferential space and the bearing housingextending into the front center space in at least partial axiallyoverlapping relation to the protuberance, such that the innercircumferential surface of the protuberance is positioned and willrotate in closely spaced opposing relation to the outer circumferentialsurface of the bearing housing when the inlet section is rotated, so asto serve as a barrier for limiting passage of plant materialtherebetween and into the front center space, and such that surfaces inthe at least one slot through the protuberance will rotate about thebearing housing during the rotation, to push plant material radiallyoutwardly away from the bearing housing.
 8. The assembly of claim 7,wherein the radially inwardly facing inner circumferential surface isgenerally frusto-conical shaped.
 9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein theshroud includes at least one opening therethrough positioned formaterial to be pushed therethrough by the surfaces in the at least oneslot through the protuberance.
 10. The assembly of claim 7, wherein thefront rotor inlet section includes at least one anti-wind flightprojecting radially outwardly from the radial outer periphery thereofwhich rotates therewith for contacting material which comes between thefront inlet section and a wiping face of the shroud for urging thematerial radially outwardly therefrom.
 11. The assembly of claim 7,wherein the shroud includes a radially outwardly extending anti-windflight having a surface facing in the predetermined rotational directionwhich is raked backwardly relative thereto.
 12. The assembly of claim 7,wherein the radial outer circumferential surface of the body furthercomprises a pair of diametrically opposed inlet flight extensionsextending radially outwardly therefrom, each of the extensions beingswept back relative to the rotational direction and having a leadingedge facing in the rotational direction, and an opposite trailing edge,the radial outer circumferential surface further comprising a pair ofradially inwardly extending indentations located adjacent to andrearwardly of the trailing edges in the rotational direction,respectively, and wherein the body includes a pair of the slots whichextend to the indentations, respectively. 13-23. (canceled)